Gov. Mehmet Ceylan said a sudden change of wind direction appeared to have caused the balloon — which took off from Goreme — to make a rough landing. The exact cause of the accident was under investigation, he added.

He was reportedly standing up as the craft lurched in the high wind.

The balloon was carrying around 10 passengers in a trip over the renowned sightseeing region of Cappodocia when the winds hit.

One Chinese tourist who was standing up taking photos at the time fell from the balloon, which then made a hard landing on a barren hillside, according to the South China Morning Post.

The death is not the first in the popular tourist spot. Three Brazilian tourists were killed when two hot-air balloons collided in the tourist destination in May 2013, with a further 22 tourists injured. An accident in 2009 killed a British tourist and injured nine others.